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% THE GLASS FACTORY. %
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,,,,,,«=%& SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& AND A GIFT SHOP. &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, CONSIDERED POOR. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## SOME ARE SHATTERED. ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= %% =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% %% %% %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& ««««««« % % ««««««« &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% %% %% #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# %% ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= LIT FROM BEHIND. =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& %% &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% %% %% %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= ««««««« % % ««««««« =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« %% %% «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, %% ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« FLOOR. «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« BECOME STILL. «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% %% %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& %% %% &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% ««««««« % % ««««««« #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# %% %% ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## %% ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### ####&%=«,,
,,,«=%## A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ###&%=«,,,
,,,,«=%# AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ##&%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=% BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«= SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER =«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«=% THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK %=«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%& GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND &%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=% I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE #&%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%# THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ##&%=«,,,,
,,,«=%## ###&%=«,,,
,,«=%### I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ####&%=«,,
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